Spatial Disorientation

1
Spatial Disorientation

• SD

2
SDObjectives

• Recall Definitions and Terms
• Identify Factors affecting SD
• Identify Types of SD
• Discuss Prevention of SD
• Discuss Treatment of SD
• Discuss HUDs, Glass Cockpits, NVGs

3
SD

• .......an incorrect perception of ones linear
  and angular position and motion relative to the
  plane of the earths surface.

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The SD Problem
USAF Class A Mishaps--1980-1989 (AFISC DATA)
Total Ops SD Mishaps
633 356 81 Fatalities
795 515 115
Cost 4,452M 2,558M 539M
(13)
(22)
5
The SD Problem
USAF Class A Mishaps--1991-2000 (AFISC DATA)
Total Ops . SD Mishaps 309
60 Fatalities
292 57
Cost 5.33B 1.04B
(19) (14)
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The SD Problem

• The SD mishap rate (per 100,000 hrs) has remained
  unchanged or increased for 3 decades!!
• One of the most serious aeromedical problems
  facing the USAF

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SD Factors

• Distraction
• Time
• Illusion

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Distraction

• Demonstration part one
• Read words left to right

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RED GREEN BLUE RED GREEN BLUE RED GREEN BLUE RED G
REEN GREEN BLUE GREEN RED BLUE GREEN BLUE GREEN RE
D RED BLUE RED RED BLUE RED BLUE GREEN BLUE GREEN
RED GREEN RED GREEN BLUE RED
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Distraction

• Now
• Tell me the color of the words (left to right
  again), not what the words say

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RED GREEN BLUE RED GREEN BLUE RED GREEN BLUE RED G
REEN GREEN BLUE GREEN RED BLUE GREEN BLUE GREEN RE
D RED BLUE RED RED BLUE RED BLUE GREEN BLUE GREEN
RED GREEN RED GREEN BLUE RED
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Distraction

• Simple Task
• Small Distraction
• Compartmentalize and Defeat

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Now that you cant be Distracted

• On next slide count the number of Tennis Balls
• Write down how many balls you count

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The Actual Time Was

• 35 seconds

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Temporal Distortion

• 15 sec to 2 min
• Distraction over time SD
• How long since you looked at the ADI?
• Time slowed down

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Demonstration part Deaux (Seen if before dont
ruin it)
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Demonstration Part Deaux

• White Shirts- Bounce Passes?
• White Shirts- Overhead Passes?

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• Notice anything odd?
• Watch again.

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Distractions

• Sometimes Distractions are important
• Compartmentalization good and bad

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Illusion Fuel to the Fire

• Visual Illusions
• What our eyes say about the world
• Vestibular Illusions
• What our inner ear says about the world

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(No Transcript)
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• Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy,
  it deosnt mttaer in what oredr the ltteers in a
  wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the
  frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The
  rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed
  it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn
  mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but
  the wrod as a wlohe.

Visual Illusion?
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Distraction x Time Illusion Disorientation
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SD Terminology

• Disorientation
• Type I
• Type II
• Type III

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Type I SD

• Sometimes called Misorientation
• Unrecognized by Definition
• Distraction may not be strong
• Lasts a relatively long time

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Eastern Flight 401Type 1 Unrecognized
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(No Transcript)
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• Where was the gorilla in that cockpit?

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F-14 Mishap

• Type I
• Vestibular Illusion
• AB climb in front of family

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C-5 Loss of Control

• C-5 INCIDENT
• Pilots discretion descent
• Spatial D after level off due to pitch down
  illusion
• Convinced each other they had simultaneous INS
  failures

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(No Transcript)
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C-5 Loss of ControlExcerpt from Class C
Investigation

• .a combination of distraction resulting from
  the slat malfunction, fatigue resulting from MC
  being 20 hrs 35 mins into CDD, task saturation
  from being too high fast and an inadequate
  instrument cross check all increased MCs
  susceptibility to a somatogravic pitch down
  illusion.

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Type II

• Pilot recognizes a conflict...
• May start with a small distraction
• Example Vertigo
• Lt Gen Kehoe F-15C mission
• G excess illusion
• Inadequate crosscheck in VFR

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Type III SD

• Overwhelming-Incapacitating
• Giant Hand
• Rare
• Result of Primitive Protective Reflex
• Knowledge is the key
• Try using fingertips
• Trust instruments

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The SD Problem

• Type
• I Unrecognized-88
• II Recognized - 8
• III Incapacitating- 4
• Source
• Visual about 50
• Vestibular 50

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SD can happen...

• TO Anyone
• To YOU!
• During all phases of flight
• Day or night
• Good wx or bad
• Watch for distraction and timing

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(No Transcript)
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Lets take a break
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Prevention

• Experience
• Currency and Proficiency
• Fatigue
• Preflight Planning
• Physiological factors
• Caffeine, Nicotine, Physical Fitness

45
Total HoursTotal flight hours of pilots in
SD-related mishaps (91-00)
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Time in AircraftHours in A/C of pilots involved
in SD-related mishaps (91-00)
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Prevention

• MRI of brain during 1st look

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Prevention

• MRI of brain during 2nd look

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Prevention

• MRI of brain during 3rd look
• AF Standard

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A pilot who is proficient in accomplishing and
prioritizing missions tasks (with an effective
instrument cross-check), is mentally alert,
physically and emotionally qualified to fly will
have significantly less difficulty maintaining
orientation. AFMAN 11-217, 17.5.1 Translation
Its on you!
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Treatment for SD

• Step 1 - Admit you have SD
• Example- F-16 Night lost wingman

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F-16 Night IMC
53

• if visual cues are not available, the body
  naturally transitions to vestibular balance.

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Treatment for SD

• Admit you have SD
• Trust your instruments
• Engage the autopilot
• Let someone else fly
• Bailout, if able

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Human Factors AccidentPrevention

• It is not enough -
• To identify the specific causes
• To understand the human factors
• To teach aviators about the risks
• We also must -
• Design aircraft, equipment and conduct our
  training and operations in ways that
  significantly reduce unnecessary risk!!

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Other Technologies

• HUDs
• Glass Cockpits
• Night/Enhanced Vision

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HUDs and Spatial D

• The PROBLEM with some earlier HUDs
• First Look attitude cues are insufficient

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HUDs and Spatial D

• The FIX
• Incorporate symbology and mechanization from
  Mil-Std 1787C
• HUD can be used as a Primary Flight Reference IF
• Full-time attitude awareness
• Unusual attitude recovery capability

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• MIL-STD 1787C
  HUD

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HUDs and Spatial D

• Symbology
• Dials vs Tapes
• Dials generally better at indicating trend
  information
• Dials take fewer pixels (less clutter)
• Attitude references
• Attitude ladders

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Is this UP or DOWN?
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What was the attitude?

• UP
• 40 Degrees Nose High
• 35 Degrees Left Bank

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Is this UP or DOWN?
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Attitude?

• DOWN
• 40 Degrees Nose Low
• 135 Degrees Right Bank
• Ghost Horizon
• Immediate Horizon Awareness

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HMDs on the Horizon
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Whats a Grapefruit?
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HMDs are on the way
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HUDs in Heavys

• Many Airlines buying HUDS
• Safety
• Flight Path helps with
• Black Hole, Precision, Non-Precision, Circling,
  etc
• Economics/Operations
• Lower takeoff and landing mins
• Manual Cat II and Cat IIIA certified

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HUDs in Heavys
C-130 J
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HUDs in Heavys
Boeing 737
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HUDs in Heavys
On Final
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Glass Cockpits

• Intensity control
• Colors Maxd
• Proper cockpit setup
• Instrument selection

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Glass Cockpits

• Display Requirements (AFI 11-202, Volume 3)
• 2.6.1. Flight Instrumentation. Primary flight
  instrumentation must provide full-time display of
  attitude, altitude, and airspeed information and
  the capability to recognize, confirm, and recover
  from unusual attitudes.
• 2.6.1.1. Electronic Flight Displays.
  ..Regardless of the type aircraft, mission, or
  mission phase, attitude awareness and paragraph
  2.6.1 instrumentation are a full-time Air Force
  mission requirement.

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Night Operations

• NVGs
• Visual Characteristics
• Visual Perception
• Enhanced Vision Equipment

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Visual Characteristicsof NVG

• Gain - 2,000 to 8,000 (10,000 is possible)
• Reduced visual acuity
• 20/25 or 20/30 under ideal conditions
• 20/40 at best in aircraft
• May be 20/80 or worse at mean starlight and/or
  low contrast conditions
• Limited FOV - 40 degrees (30 - 45) vs 180
• Monochromatic image - no color contrast
• Limits object detection and recognition

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Visual Perceptionwith Night Vision Goggles

• Aviators consistently over estimate their visual
  performance with NVGs

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Visual Perceptionwith Night Vision Goggles

• Over reliance on visual cues frequently leads to
  a poor / breakdown of cockpit scan
• Combined with the limited FOV of NVGs, the
  likelihood of an unusual attitude is increased

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Human Factor Threats

• Number of U.S. NVG-Related Mishaps
• 40
• Number of U.S. NVG-Related Mishaps Not attributed
  to Over-relliance on Visual Cues
• 1
• Crosscheck your INSTRUMENTS!

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Scan Patterns

• NVGs are used to look outside the aircraft
• Cockpit Instruments and displays (except a HUD)
  are viewed by looking beneath or around the
  goggles
• The goggle obstructs a /- 45 degree cone of
  vision (40 degrees 2.5 degrees surrounding the
  image)
• Pilots must modify their cockpit scan to
  accommodate this obstruction of vision

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NVG Obscuration of F-16 Displays
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NVG Obscuration ofA-10 Displays
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• Wingman visually acquires lead
• Horizon outside field of view

85

• Wingman enters sustained turn
• Flying seat of the pants

W
Y
D
A
E
R
86

• No sensation of overbank
• Unrecognized spatial disorientation (Type 1 SDO)

87

• Transition to recognized (Type II) SD
• Unusual attitude recovery delayed due to
  expectancy, confusion

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Increased FOV ofIntegrated Panoramic NVG (IPNVG)

• The increased FOV of the IPNVG will improve, but
  not eliminate, the problems associated with
  limited FOV
• However, it will increase the obstructed area of
  the unaided FOV

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40 Degree vs 40 X 100 Degree FOV
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The Role of NVG Cockpit Lighting in SD

• Incompatible or partially compatible lighting is
  a particular hazard
• The natural tendency is to turn it down in order
  to reduce blooming and / or reflections
• However -- as a rule, an incompatible display
  cannot be made compatible by turning it down
• The result is a display that is less readable, or
  unreadable, AND still incompatible with NVGs !!

91
The Role of NVG Cockpit Lightingin Spatial
Disorientation

• Poor illumination of primary flight instruments
  has been a significant problem in NVG operations
  (30 of mishaps)
• It can take up to several seconds to adapt from a
  bright NVG image to a dim cockpit display !!
• The ADI has been a particular problem due to the
  depth of the instrument
• ADI readability can vary dramatically with
  changes in aircraft attitude

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Philosophy

• The Air Force Lets you Log INSTRUMENT Time at
  NIGHT for a REASON

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NVG Mishap

• C-130 Mosul Feb 07
• Prolonged turn / descent
• NVGs outside, unusual attitude
• Neg Gs
• Multiple injuries

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(No Transcript)
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Vision Enhancing Devices

• Enhanced Vision System
• Currently installed on Air Force C-37s
  (Gulfstream V)
• Demonstration Video - Aspen, CO

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Vision Enhancing Devices
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SD Review

• Terms
• Factors affecting SD
• Types of SD
• Prevention of SD
• Treatment of SD
• HUDs, Glass Cockpits, Night Ops

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References

• AFI 11-202V3
• Para 2.6.1, 5.26
• AFM 11-217 V1, V2
• V1 Ch 22, Ch 25 V2 Ch 3
• http//www.spatiald.wpafb.af.mil

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Critiques !!!